Presser

3 years ago

Obama: Congress Vote Will Be Tough

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Speaking at the G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, President Obama said Friday that he knew getting Congress to authorize an intervention in Syria would be difficult, but wouldn’t say whether or not he would act anyway if the legislature said no. “You’re not getting a direct answer,” Obama said when a reporter pressed him on the question. Obama said he would “make the best case I can” to the American people, and plans to address the nation on Tuesday. He had little to say about his progress with Putin, but the two met privately for about half an hour between meetings. Putin, meanwhile, said Russia would continue to supply arms to Syria. The state-supported Russian media outlet RT also reported that Putin called the chemical weapons attack an elaborate ruse by the Syrian rebels to provoke an intervention.